


A Curse Worth Breaking

by RapunzelGirl13



Category: Smosh
Genre: Bisexual Shayne, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Gay Damien, Love at First Sight, M/M, Romance, mermaid au, shaymien - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-03
Updated: 2019-09-07
Packaged: 2020-10-06 11:14:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20506046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RapunzelGirl13/pseuds/RapunzelGirl13
Summary: Shayne Topp was 17 when he was cursed into a merman for being selfish and mean to the LGBTQ people around him. The only way to break the curse is to fall in love with someone of the same sex, however Shayne is completely straight, so he fears he’ll be this way forever. Three years later, now 20, Shayne meets 21 year old Damien Haas. The two quickly grow fond of one another and Damien meets with him at the same spot, every night. However when Shayne finds himself with growing feelings for Damien, he spills the truth to him about who and what he is. With Shayne now coming to realize that he isn’t as straight as he always thought he was, will Damien be able to break loose from the closet that he’s buried himself so deeply into or will he deny his feelings and refuse to admit that he loves Shayne?





	1. Chapter 1

Damien was walking along the water, kicking the occasional stone out of the sand. He let out a sigh as he stuck his hands in his shorts pockets. Being the end of November, the weather was pretty chilly but he was enjoying the cool breeze. It really sucked to be all alone on your birthday. No friends to hang out with, no family nearby to celebrate with. Suddenly a loud splashing sound caught his attention. He jerked his head to the right and saw something, or was it someone, emerging from the blue ocean. Filled with curiosity, he took a step forward into the water, his shoes and socks now getting soaked but he didn't care. The closer he approached this mysterious figure, the more he could make out their features. This handsome stranger had golden blonde hair illuminated by the moonlight, with striking blue eyes, that matched the ocean. He couldn't seem to look away from this young man and found himself more intrigued to know who or what he was, therefore he continued to move deeper into the cold water. 

"See something you like?"

The sudden voice snapped him out of his thoughts, his dark eyes coming in contact with the stranger’s blue ones.. "Oh um, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to stare."

"Oh don't worry, I never said I didn't like it." The blonde smirked, his voice came out with laughter following. The sound of his laughter brought a smile to Damien's face. It was the most beautiful thing he'd ever heard. "So mind telling me why a boy like yourself is out here all alone, this late at night."

"Oh um well it's kind of my birthday but I had no one to celebrate with." Damien spoke with disappointment and hurt in his voice. “All my family is in Georgia and I haven’t made any friends yet. I moved here when I was eighteen for school.” 

"Gee. I'm really sorry. If you like you can spend some of your birthday here with me. I’m not doing anything."

"Really you wouldn't mind? I mean I don't want to bother you," he watched as the young man rested against a nearby large rock, revealing his naked chest and past of his torso. When he realized that he was staring, heat rose to his cheeks and he quickly looked away. 

"Nonsense, I wouldn't have offered if I didn't want you to stay,” he spoke, a small smirk grazing his face as he noticed the rosy hue on the brunette’s cheeks. “What's your name?" 

"I'm Damien, Damien Haas. You are?" He asked as he shyly held out his hand to the stranger. 

"Well Damien, my name is Shayne Topp and it's lovely to meet you." Shayne smiled and shook his hand. "Now, do you always come into the ocean fully clothed?" 

"It's nice to meet you too Shayne." Damien returned the smile. He looked down at his clothes and saw he was chest deep in the water. "I normally don't," he let out an awkward laugh. "I saw you and I got curious," he explained. 

"I am very flattered. It's not every day that such a handsome young man peeks my interest.” Now Shayne was into girls but if he wanted to be human again, he knew that he had to try and flirt with men. 

Wait was Shayne flirting with him? Damien had no idea but he could feel the heat rising to his cheeks for the second time. "Oh um, well thank you," he sure hoped that it was dark enough so that Shayne wouldn't see him blushing again. No one exactly knew that he was gay as his family was so religious and he was afraid of what they might say. 

Shayne's face was plastered with a smirk as soon as he saw the boy's face turning red again. It had to be the cutest thing that he had ever seen. Shit did he just call him cute? No he didn’t mean it like that. "Damien I really would love to get to know more about you. Care to meet me here again tomorrow, same time?"

This time Damien's face lit up as he smiled. "I'd love to. I'll make sure that I wear my bathing suit next time, unless you’d like to meet out of the water?" 

That same laughter echoed through the air and Damien could listen to it all day, he just love the way it sounded. “In the water is best. I guess I'll be seeing you tomorrow Damien, don't forget." 

Damien didn’t acknowledge the blonde’s comment about the water. "Don't worry, I wouldn't dream of it." 

While Damien began heading back to shore, he heard a loud splash. By the time he looked back, Shayne was already gone. Who and what was Shayne?


	2. Chapter 2

“I LIKE YOUR MESSY HAIR"

After arriving home that night, Damien had slept amazing and he was looking forward to seeing Shayne again. His birthday hadn’t been so bad after all. In fact it had been the best birthday he had since he came here for school. He woke up the next morning with a smile on his face and for the first time since he moved to California, he was feeling happy. He went about his Saturday, working his butt off at the job that he hated, but he needed the money. He had finished acting school a year ago and had been working on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and weekends from 8-5, since last September. He wanted to be an actor and had auditioned for a few things but had failed to be hired. It was definitely hard to find a first acting job. So here he was stuck folding clothes—among various other things—in the back of a department store, for minimum wage. He was busy unloading and folding some new jeans to put on the shelves when his boss came back. 

“Damien, I need you to come clean the bathroom, some kid just threw up.”

“That wasn’t in my job description, isn’t someone else supposed to be doing that, like I don’t know, the new teenager that you hired?” Damien frowned. He hated when he was forced to clean the bathroom and he always tried to get out of it. 

“For the last time, your job requires you to do anything I ask. So right now I am asking you to go and clean the men’s bathroom. Go or you’re fired. Oh and if you keep trying to not do the things I ask you to do, I will also fire you.” 

"I hate this stupid fucking job. Stupid boss, dumb fucking customers" Damien muttered a few curse words under his breath. 

Damien muttered a few curse words under his breath as he grabbed the mop and bucket from the maintenance closet. He headed to the men’s bathroom and was shocked. How the hell could a kid get puke on the walls, sink, and stall doors?! God this was so gross and yet he did it without much more complaints. So much for having a good day, at least it would be better tonight. He really hated this job and wished that he could just book an acting gig so he could finally live out his dream. However doing that was a lot easier said than done. 

~Time Skip for Damien~

By the time that Damien got off work at 5, he was completely exhausted. Not only did he have to clean the bathroom three times, but he also had to deal with some teenagers who kept trying to shoplift as soon as he looked away. He drove to a nearby Burger King and got himself a burger, before heading home to eat it. Normally he’d make himself something healthier when he got home but today he just did not feel like it. Once he made it home, he found a small package on his doorstep, which he took inside. He was so exhausted that all he did was flop on the couch. He opened the package first and found it to be some money and a book from his parents, a birthday present. It made him pretty happy and he made a mental reminded to text him mom a thank you. He put the book and cash down on the coffee table, grabbing his burger now, while Freyja and Zelda jumped up to cuddle next to him. Only five more hours and he’d get to see Shayne.  
\----------------------------------------------------------  


Shayne was deep in the ocean, swimming around, there wasn’t much else to do. He was the only merman around this part of the ocean and so he got really lonely. He couldn’t even come up to the surface very often in the daylight, in case someone saw him. He sure missed his friends Courtney, Olivia, Keith, Ian, and Noah. He missed his family too, even though he had run away from home when he was 16. He wondered if they even missed him. After making sure there was no one on the beach yet, he jumped up and did a flip through the air, landing with a splash in the water. He sunk down and rested against the ocean’s floor as he flopped his turquoise tail a little. Three years like this was hard. At least a few times a month, a young mermaid Ericka—although she prefered to be called Boze—would come to visit him. She would often try to get him to follow her back to where there were others like them. At first he had considered it but he wanted his curse to be lifted; he wanted to be human again and to be close to the beach when that happened. 

“Shayne! It’s so good to see you again!” Boze grinned, her dark hair floating through the water as she flapped her dark red tail around and adjusted her matching clamshell bra. 

“Oh hey Boze! I’ve missed seeing you.” Shayne smiled at his friend. “Are you here to try and bring me with you again?”

“Shayne, I know you won’t take my deal but think about it. You’ll be living with your own kind. You’ll get to meet my friends Mari, Wes, Lasercorn, and Joven! Just come with me right now and then if you wanna come back here then you can.” 

“How long will it take to get there? I um, I do need to be back here by 10 tonight.”

“Ooh meet someone cute? Who is she? Oh and it will only take us an hour to get there.”

“No I didn’t meet anyone,” he lied. “I just wanna be back,” he nodded. 

Shayne finally agreed to go with Boze for the day. The hour long swim seemed like a lot longer and he was exhausted by the time they arrived. Wow Boze had been right. There were colorful fish swimming around, he could see plenty of mermaids and mermen, and it seemed so much happier in this part of the ocean. 

“Boze you’re back! Oh hello, you must be Shayne! I’m Mari,” a mermaid with bright purple hair and a matching tail and clamshell bra, spoke to him. 

“Um yeah, I’m Shayne. It’s nice to meet you Mari.”

“Hey Wes, Joven, Laser! Come meet Shayne!” Mari spoke cheerfully. 

Shayne turned his head and he watched as three mermen swam over. One had orange hair and a tail to match, the second had shaggy silver white hair with a silver tail, while the last had dark brown hair with a dark green tail. 

“Hey man, I’m Wes and these are my best friends Joven and Lasercorn. Boze has been telling us all about you! It’s nice to finally meet,” the silver haired merman spoke to him. 

“It’s nice to meet you too. I’m only here for a while though, I have to be gone by tonight.”

“I think he met a pretty girl.” Boze smirked, the comment causing Shayne’s cheeks to turn a little pink. 

“Ooh who is she?!” Mari asked enthusiastically. 

“I didn’t meet any girl.” Shayne mumbled. 

“A boy then? Don’t worry we don’t judge.” Joven spoke up. 

“I. Don’t. Like. Guys.” Shayne said, emphasizing each word that he spoke. Just because he had to make a guy fall in love with him, didn’t mean he was attracted to them, right? 

“Chill dude, no need to get defensive or anything. There’s nothing wrong with being into both.” Lasercorn stated. 

Shayne sighed. “I never said there was. But personally I am only into girls.”  
\----------------------------------------------------------  
The day went by quickly and soon Shayne was back leaning against his favourite rock as he waited for Damien to arrive. As soon as he saw the brunette heading towards the water, he broke out into a smile. For some reason this boy was already having an effect on him and he didn’t understand it. He had never felt this bubbly feeling in his chest or these butterflies in his stomach when he was around a boy. The closer Damien got, Shayne began to see the boy was in fact shirtless and it caused Shayne’s breath to catch in his throat a little. Before coming down there, Damien had thrown on a t-shirt and swim trunks, but let his shirt in his car once he had gotten to the beach. Damien smiled when he saw Shayne and waved at the messy haired blonde, before he swam into the water and made his way towards him. It was pretty cold at 10pm in just swim trunks but if Shayne was fine in just that, shouldn’t he? Damien finally reached the rock and he leaned against the other side of it as he caught his breath. Swimming this far out was not something he was used to but to see Shayne it was worth it. He’d only known the other boy for a day and yet he was already growing a massive crush on him. 

“How was your day Shayne? What did you do?” Damien asked. 

“It was alright. Well, I spent a little time with some friends I made but it would have been better if you had been there.” 

“You consider me a friend?” Damien almost stuttered out the words. He was rather shy and so it was difficult for him to make friends who stuck around, this being why he hadn’t made any in three years. He just had a hard time talking to people and yet talking to Shayne was easy. 

“Well of course I do. Sure we just met and all but you’re cool Damien.”

Damien smiled happily as he heard those words. Wow he felt like he was dreaming. “I consider you a friend too, Shayne. My first friend here in California.”

“I’m honored to hold the title of your first California friend.” 

“Shayne would you like to come by my apartment tomorrow and play some video games, maybe eat some pizza?” 

Shayne’s face fell at those words. How was he supposed to explain to him that he wasn’t allowed to leave the water? Being a merman sucked. All he wanted to do was play Mario Kart and eat pizza. However he was stuck here in the ocean instead. 

“Damien, I really would love to. I love pizza, it’s my favourite, but I can’t make it. I wish I could explain why, but I can’t.”

“Oh yeah of course, I understand. It’s no biggie Shayne, really.”

“I’m truly sorry Damien… would you still like to come see me here tomorrow?”

Sure Damien was a little sad but he nodded his head. “Shayne it’s okay and I’ll definitely be here. I can even stay later because I don’t work on Monday.”

“That’s great, I look forward to you staying longer. It will give us much more time to talk.”

“Yes it will.” Damien smiled. “Shayne, why exactly do we have to meet in the water?”

“I was afraid you might ask me that and again, I can’t tell you. Not at this time. I will though Dames, I promise.”

Damien nodded as his cheeks turned hot at the nicknames. Yes it was nothing much but no one had ever given him a nickname before and receiving it from the guy he was falling for, caused his heart to flutter. When Damien left that night, he managed to see Shayne diving below the water and catch a quick glimpse at a shiny turquoise… tail? Holy crap, was Shayne a merman? Damien went to bed that night, trying to wrap his head around what he had seen. If Shayne really was a merman, it would explain so much. Like why they had to meet in the water and why he couldn’t come to his apartment. Damn it, is he really falling for a fish? By the time Damien finally fell asleep, it was 4am and even when he did, he still had Shayne on his mind. 

“I LIKE THE CLOTHES YOU WEAR"


	3. Chapter 3

_ ** ** _

_ **“I LIKE THAT RAINBOW PAIR OF GYM SHOES THAT YOU WEAR”** _

It had been a month since Damien had met Shayne. There were still so many unanswered questions and yet Damien found himself falling more and more for the blonde. He felt like they had known each other their whole lives, from the way they laughed, joked around with each other. It was the 22nd of December and since Damien was going to see how family for Christmas, this would be the last time he saw Shayne for a couple of days. Earlier that day, Damien had gotten the front part of his hair dyed blue and was excited to show it off. Mostly to Shayne; he really hoped that he had a good reaction to it. The weather was much cooler now, even for California, and he chose to wear a t-shirt with his swim trunks as he headed down to the beach, holding a small wrapped present in his hands. Yes he had made something for Shayne and he really hoped that he was going to like it.

He arrived at the beach earlier than normal, the time being just past 9:30. He glanced out at the beautiful water before him, just taking in the sight. He placed the small gift into a ziploc bag to keep it from getting wet, then he dove into the water and swam out to the rock; completely forgetting he still had on his favourite rainbow sneakers. He had a lot on his mind. He leaned against the rock, closing his eyes for a moment to listen to the soft sound of the waves. It was so relaxing and calming, he enjoyed being out here every night with Shayne. His eyes remained closed until he heard some splashing close by. It had only been a couple of minutes but he was happy Shayne was there early too, and to see him wearing the same grin that he always did.

“Hey Damien, you’re here early. Not that I’m complaining.” Shayne chuckled but as the other boy turned his head the right way, the moonlight allowed him to see the blue in Damien’s hair. “Wow, your hair. It looks really good, I love that color.”

“I guess I couldn’t stay away any longer.” Damien smiled, he was growing a lot more confidence around Shayne. However as soon as he received the compliment, all that confidence flew out the window. “Oh um thank you. I got it done first thing this morning, I just thought it was time for a change, you know?”

“Well I’m always happy to see you. Yeah I totally get it. The blue looks great against your dark hair.” Shayne smiled.

“Same here Shayne, coming out here is honestly the best part of my day.” Damien admitted as a faint blush worked its way onto his cheeks. “Again, thank you.”

“So are you excited about Christmas?” Shayne asked him before he sang a quick, “We wish you a Merry Christmas!” 

Damien smiled at the sound of Shayne’s singing, it was pretty off tune but he liked it. He did a small dance in the water, watching Shayne do the same, and it had them both erupting into a fit of laughter. “I definitely am, I love Christmas!” 

“Same! Christmas is my favourite holiday. What’s that?” Shayne asked as he gestured to the small present still in Damien’s hands. . 

“Oh this is for you. I decided to bring you a Christmas present.” Damien smiled.

“I’m glad you still come to see me. Sure I have other friends but I can’t talk to them, the same way I talk with you,” he told the older boy. “Wait you got me a Christmas present? Why?” Shayne questioned. 

“I enjoy spending time with you Shayne. I bought this for you because you’re my friend, Shayne. I like gettings gifts for the people that I care about.” Damien said as the hint of a blush rose to his cheeks once more.

Shayne grinned at Damien’s words and the way he always blushed around him, made him look so cute and precious, kind of like a porcelain doll. Alright maybe Shayne was falling just a little for Damien… Shayne carefully took the bag and pulled out the small wrapped box. He tore off the Christmas wrapping paper—while making sure it didn’t go into the ocean—finding himself with a small blue box in his hands. As he pulled off the top, inside was a silver chain necklace with a small clay pizza dangle hanging off of it. He was speechless. No one had ever got him such a sentimental gift, not even his friends. He clutched the necklace in his hand as a couple of tears formed in his eyes.

“S-Shayne, are you crying?” Damien asked, worried that maybe Shayne didn’t like the necklace. “I just remember you saying how much you love pizza, so I thought I’d make this for you. It’s even a sterling silver chain so you can wear it in the water,” he began to ramble on a bit now. What if it being homemade made it too cheesy?

Shayne quickly rubbed his eyes. “Yes I am crying but it’s happy tears. Damien, this gift means so much to me. Knowing you listened when I told you I loved pepperoni pizza, no one ever listens that closely to me. And the fact that you made this yourself just for me, it means everything,” he spoke but he began to frown. “I wish I could have gotten you something but I can’t go on land.”

“Oh Shayne, I’m so happy that you like it. Of course I listen to you. I listen to everything that you tell me. I remember it all. I made it because I knew it would make it more special and I like making gifts.” Damien smiled, so thankful that Shayne liked his gift. “Wait what do you mean you can’t go on land?”

  
Now Damien knew what was coming and he was glad they were finally at this point in their friendship. He had wanted to know more about Shayne before asking him what he was, however, it seems as if Shayne was going to beat him to it. Shayne was actually going to tell someone the truth about who he was.

  
“Damien, look if what I’m about to tell you and show you, makes you not want to be my friend anymore, I understand.” Shayne’s voice was a lot softer now than normal. He leaned his back against the rock and lifted his tail out of the water. “I haven’t always been this way. I was seventeen when I was turned, some curse placed on me. I don’t know how to break it.” Although the last part was a lie, it felt really good to be finally getting to tell this to Damien. He hoped he had made the right decision. 

Damien admired his beautiful turquoise mermaid tail, completely in awe and a little shocked. Yeah he had already figured this all out, but he was thankful that Shayne decided to be honest with him. “Shayne, thank you for telling me the truth and trusting me with your secret. I wish I could help you out so you could be human again. I do think it’s pretty cool that you’re a merman though. I’ve never seen one as handsome as you before.” The last part was not supposed to leave Damien’s thoughts and yet his mouth had other plans. 

Shayne smiled as he slipped the necklace on and it rested against the middle of his chest. “I’ve never trusted anyone more than I trust you. I want to be human again but I’ve kind of grown to love being a merman. It’s kind of cool to be able to breath underwater,” he chuckled softly before he heard the last of Damien’s words and Shayne could feel the heat rising to his cheeks, which didn’t happen too often, so he tried to cover it up my making a small joke. “Well thank you, it’s nice to know someone thinks I’m hot,” he teased the brunette. 

Damien saw how the necklace looked on Shayne and how it rested perfectly against his chest. “I’ve never trusted anyone this much either.” He was so happy to have such trust and such a friendship with Shayne; he was his best friend. “Oh um, y-you’re welcome,” he stuttered out, his flushed cheeks matching Shayne’s as he let out a bit of an awkward laugh.

Damien noticed Shayne moving around the rock to get closer to him. His eyes went wide as he sucked in a deep breath, keeping his eyes on Shayne. Soon the two boys were chest to chest and Damien could feel Shayne’s breath against his face; his eyes falling closed on instinct. Shayne slowly reached his hand up to cup Damien’s cheek. He had never kissed a boy before—nor had he ever wanted to— but he had this sudden urge to kiss Damien and so he did. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to Damien’s, praying that he didn’t overstep. It actually wasn’t that different from kissing a girl but he definitely felt butterflies in his stomach. Damien reacted right away, looping an arm around Shayne’s waist, as he kissed him back for a couple of seconds, before he pulled away, looking like a deer caught in the headlights.

“I-I have to go!” Damien stuttered out and with that he was swimming away from Shayne as quickly as he could.

_ **"I LIKE THE CHANCE YOU TAKE, I LIKE THE MESS YOU MAKE”** _


	4. Chapter 4

_ **“I LIKE THE WAY YOU SING”** _

Damien fell against his couch once he got home, trying to take in some deep breaths. His anxiety was taking over and it wasn’t long before he began to hyperventilate. He couldn’t believe that Shayne had kissed him! It was not only his first kiss with a boy, but his first kiss ever! He had loved it and had wanted this for weeks but he just wasn’t ready. He couldn’t come out yet. What would his parents say, his grandparents, his sister?! The thought alone made his hyperventilating worse as he curled up in a ball and closed his eyes. God he was such an idiot! Shayne actually liked him and he probably just ruined everything by being a nervous geek! Eventually Damien ended up falling asleep on his couch for a while, waking up several hours later. It was just past 2am and he had to catch his flight at 4 so he’d arrive in Georgia before noon; if was almost a five hour flight and there was a three hour time difference.

“Shit” Damien cursed as he jumped up and maneuvered around his cats. Once he was in his room he began to throw the rest of his stuff into his suitcase and managed to get it closed. He threw the presents for his family into his backpack and wandered back into the living room, sitting his stuff down by the front door. “Come on Zelda, here Freyja. We have to get you in your carry-ons so we can go.” Of course they were hiding now when he needed them to be underfoot like they always were! He had to take them with him as he knew no one who could watch them for three or four days while he was gone. He grumbled and tossed the carry-ons against the floor and slumped down with his back to the wall with his eyes closed. He was only there for a couple of seconds when he heard small meow’s. He smiled and opened his eyes, scooping both cats into his arms. “You two are so goofy. We’re just going to be gone for a few days and then we’ll be coming home I promise.”

~Time Jump for Damien~

Once the plane had landed in Georgia, he got a taxi to take him and his cats to his parents house. It was almost noon when he finally got there. He was excited to see his parents and his big sister. He sat his bag and the cat carriers down as he rang the doorbell. A few seconds later the door opened and Damien smiled when he saw his mom.

“Oh Damien sweetie, it’s so good to see you again! I’ve missed having you home,” his mom smiled as she hugged him. “Oh my goodness, your hair, it’s blue!”

“I missed you too mum. It’s good to be home for a few days.” Damien smiled and returned the hug. “Oh yeah, I wanted a change but I wasn’t willing to commit to dying it fully blue,” he laughed.

“You need to come home more often Damien, and your hair is definitely a change. I don’t mind it though,” she smiled.

“Mum, can I come in?” Damien laughed.

“Sweetie you know the tradition, I made your sister do it too.”

Damien smiled as he shook his head a little. “Alright here it goes…” he paused for just a second before he began to belt out, “Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way! Oh what fun it is to ride in a one horse open sleigh, hey!”

After singing the Christmas carol, Damien followed his mother inside and took all of his stuff upstairs. As soon as he had everything settled into his old bedroom, he let Freyja and Zelda out of their carries so they could run around and explore. Following the two excited furballs downstairs, he placed the gifts for his parents, sister, and brother in law, underneath the Christmas tree. He settled down on the couch next to his sister and put on the santa hat she handed to him.

“So Damien, any girls in your life?” His father asked him. Of course this was his dad’s first question to him, it always was.

“No, I haven’t met any girls yet.” Damien mumbled and he could see his mom frowning at him, so he looked down at his lap. It sucked having your parents constantly ask you if you had a girlfriend when you were so deep in the closet that you could basically be in Narnia! It was beginning to get really bothersome and it just reminded him or how lonely he was.

“Well I hope you find a girl soon. You just turned 21. Your father and I were married at that age. We wanted you to get married young so you’d have a full life,” his mother replied.

“Mum! I’m too young to be married. I don’t even have my dream job yet… The last thing that I need is someone else to look out for. Besides I have Freyja and Zelda.”

His mom shook her head. “I told you acting was a bad idea, Damien. You should have went in to be a doctor or a lawyer, it would have been much easier to find a job in those fields.”

Damien sighed. “Mum, please just stop it! I may not have an actual career yet but I am working on it, alright? I am making enough money to support myself in California. I’m auditioning for every acting gig I can find and I will get one eventually. This is what I want to do, it’s been my dream since I was seven.”

“Mum dad, stop telling Damien to get a different job. I believe in him and I know that he’ll make it in acting,” his sister smiled. “One day he’ll be one of the hottest actors in hollywood!”

“Thank you Brittany.” Damien shot his sister a small smile.

He stood up and he headed upstairs to his room, needing to be away from his family for a bit. He was about to close the door when his sister stopped it with her foot, so he didn’t force her out. He sighed and flopped down on his bed, looking up at the ceiling.

“Damien, you’re going to have to tell them at some point.”

“What are you talking about?” He asked, sitting up to look at his sister.

“You know exactly what I am talking about, D. You’re my baby brother. You think I’ve never noticed that you don’t look at girls the way you should.”

Damien’s eyes widened and he barely managed to choke out a couple of words. “What do you mean?”

Brittany sat down at the end of his bed and put a hand on his shoulder. “Look, I know that you like boys. There is nothing wrong with that.”

“H-How did you find out a-and you don’t think I’m messed up?” He stuttered.

“Damien, I saw the way you looked at your best friend in the fourth grade. I’ve known forever. Why would you think that being gay makes you messed up?”

Damien didn’t realize it was that obvious but siblings seem to know a lot, so it seemed. “Well because we learned it in church every Sunday, growing up. That same sex relationships were wrong and that God didn’t intend for us to be this way… that I’m crazy and messed up.”

“Oh Damien.” Brittany frowned a little. “Look, everyone believes different things when it comes to things like Heaven and God, but love is love no matter what. No one asks to be gay or lesbian or straight. We’re born the way we are for a reason, we just have to find out what that reason is. You’re not messed up little brother. You’re the most intelligent person I know, the funniest too. So embrace who you are.”

This had Damien smiling as he gave his big sister a hug. He was so lucky to have a sister like Brittany. “Thanks sis. You’re the best. Why haven’t you told mum or dad, if you’ve known I was gay all this time?”

Brittany returned the hug. “I try to be and because it’s not my right to tell them. It’s up to you when you are ready. Now, tell me all about this boy you like.” She teased him as she messed up his hair and laughed when his cheeks turned as red as a fire hydrant. “And before you ask, I’m your sister. I know everything. So spill, start with his name.”

\----------------------------------------------------------

Shayne was left speechless when Damien just left without letting him explain about the kiss. Though how much explanation did a kiss need? Maybe he shouldn’t have kissed him at all but it just felt so right. He always thought he was straight but then Damien came along and the more he talked to and got to know him, the more he began to realize that he liked Damien. More than a friend. Sure he’d never felt this way towards any boys before but didn’t this mean he was still bisexual, since he liked Damien? Maybe Damien didn’t feel the same way and that’s why he had left so quickly, but he swore that he had felt the brunette kiss him back for a few seconds, that had to mean something right?! He wanted Damien to be the one who broke his curse but with the way that he had rushed off so quickly, he figured that maybe he was just meant to be a merman forever. Finding someone to admit that they loved him—and that he loved them back—was going to be a lot harder than he imagined.

~Time Skip for Shayne~

Eventually Shayne had gotten some sleep but woke up after five hours, both exhausted and lonely. As Shayne swam around near the bottom of the ocean, his hand kept coming up to his necklace. It was so special to him and he never wanted to take it off. As he was lost in his thoughts about Damien, a voice scared him out of them. 

“Shayne, man are you alright?”

Shayne quickly spun around and saw that it was Wes. “Wes? What are you doing here?”

“Well Boze wanted to come but she wasn’t feeling well. She sent me instead.” Wes explained. “You look sick, everything okay?”

Shayne shook his head. “No, nothing is okay. I think I really messed up.”

Wes nodded. “Do you want to tell me what happened?”

“Do you promise that you won’t tell the others? I don’t need to hear what they say..”

“Don’t worry, whatever you tell me, will stay between us.” Wes assured him.

“Alright well Boze was right when she said I met someone, and Joven was right about it being a boy… you see I met this really handsome and sweet guy, a month ago.” Shayne began to say.

“What’s his name?” Wes asked with a smile, getting all giddy and excited for his friend.

“Well his name is Damien and he’s twenty-one. Over the last month as I’ve been getting to know him, I’ve developed these feelings. At first I didn’t understand them but then I realized it was the same way I’d feel around a really pretty girl, and things just clicked.”

“So you have feelings for Damien!” Wes said happily as he gave Shayne a hug. “Alright well there is nothing wrong with that Shayne. Gender shouldn’t matter.”

Shayne awkwardly returned the hug. “Wes you don’t understand. I always thought that gender did matter. I used to pick on gay kids when I was a teenager and it’s the reason I think this curse was placed upon me. But now I know that being gay or bi or lesbian isn’t wrong, it’s just as normal as being straight.”

“Shayne, people change. Seems as if you have, but I’m not seeing what the real problem is here.”

“Well the problem is that last night, he gave me this,” he showed Wes his necklace. “Then I ended up showing him that I’m a merman and he didn’t seem to care. Then I kissed him and—” He was quickly cut off by Wes speaking.

“Alright that’s a sweet necklace. Telling him isn’t a big deal, being honest is a good thing and I’m proud of you… woah slow down. You kissed him?!” Wes asked with excitement as he did some jumps in the water.

Shayne’s cheeks turned bright red as he nodded. “Yes I kissed him and for a second he actually kissed me back. But then he left so quick and I think that I may have scared him off. What am I supposed to do? I don’t want to be stuck this way forever… I think I love him, Wes.”

“Shayne, I think you need to tell Damien this when you see him again. Tell him how you feel because it seems as if Damien may still be in the closet.”

“Wait you mean…?”

“That no one knows he likes guys, yeah that’s what I mean. Whether he’s gay or bi or whatever, I have a feeling that his family doesn’t know. That’s probably why he left as quickly as he did. Maybe he’s scared to come out, in fear of being bullied or not accepted.”

Shayne frowned, thinking about Damien being picked on by someone like he used to be; shoving him around and punching him. His heart broke. “Oh I never thought of it that way. That’s so sad if Damien thinks he can’t be himself. Wes, do you think that if he ever knew what I used to do, that he’d see me the same way?”

“Unfortunately, there are still so many people who don’t accept queer people.” Wes told him as he put a hand on Shayne’s shoulder and gave it a friendly squeeze. “Shayne, of course he would. If he kissed you back it means there’s at least some feelings there. I don’t think he’d change his mind just because of your past. If we judged everyone for what they did in their past, love wouldn’t ever exist.”

Shayne nodded. “Thank you for listening to me Wes, I really appreciate it.”

“Of course, you can talk to me about anything. Now come on, let’s go to the others. Mari found some really colorful beads and pearls from a shipwreck and we’re going to use them to decorate some barnacles!”

Shayne smiled and he began swimming with Wes. He’d never decorated a baracle before but it couldn’t be all that different from decorating a Christmas tree ad it would be fun to spend the next few days with Wes and the others. At least he wasn’t spending this Christmas all alone.

_ **“AND WHEN YOU DANCE WITH ME”** _


	5. Chapter 5

_ ** ** _

_ **“** _ _ **I DON’T KNOW WHY I LOVE YOU”** _

Damen spent his entire holiday thinking of ways to tell his parents that he was gay. It was the 27th already and he was heading home later that day. It was the only flight he could get. He gave his sister a hug before she and her husband left, before sitting in the living room with his parents. He was definitely nervous as he fiddled with his fingers, only looking up when his mom spoke to him.

“Damien honey, are you feeling alright? You’ve been acting weird the whole time you’ve been here. Didn’t you enjoy Christmas this year?” His mother asked him.

“Mum, I had the best time here, I always do. I love getting to spend Christmas here in Georgia. I just have something that I need to tell you and dad.”

His father put his newspaper down and looked up at his son. “Well son, you can tell your mother and I anything. You know that.”

Damien nodded, taking in a deep breath before he finally he began to speak. “Mum, dad, the reason I haven’t had an actual girlfriend before is because I’m… um I’m gay.” Just saying it felt like a huge weight off his shoulders but as silence took over the room, he had to swallow the lump in his throat.

After a few minutes, his mom spoke up. “Oh sweetheart! You should have told us sooner! We don’t care who you fall in love with. We just want you to be happy and feel loved,” his mom smiled as she got up and gave him a hug. “I’m so happy that you finally told us.”

“So son, any boys in your life?” His dad asked with a smile.

Damien hugged his mom back before smiling at his dad, wiping a few tears from his eyes. “Thank you mum, I love you guys so much,” he spoke softly. “Yeah actually there is, dad. His name is Shayne and he’s really great. He’s the only friend I have back in California, he’s so sweet. He makes me smile and laugh until my stomach hurts, but things are a little complicated right now.”

“Well whatever happens, we’d love to meet him sometime. You can bring any boy over as long as he makes you happy,” his mom grinned, giving Damied another hug.

“Oh and as long as he doesn’t hurt you otherwise I’ll be hurting him. You’re still my son.”

Damien returned the hug to his mom before looking at his dad with wide eyes and rosy cheeks. “Dad!” he laughed as he gave his father a hug.

  
Damien left an hour later to catch his flight and he felt like a whole new person. Finally coming out to his parents and freeing himself from the closet was the best thing he had ever done. He was sure thankful that his sister had been able to convince him to talk to his parents. He couldn’t wait to get home and talk to Shayne. He had missed him so much. The last five days had felt like five years.  
\--------------------------------------------------------------------  
_**“I JUST KNOW I CAN’T STOP THINKING OF YOU”**_

Shayne spent the holidays with Wes and the others and although they didn’t actually celebrate Christmas, he had a lot of fun hanging out with them all and decorating barnacles with the stuff that Mari had found; he had even made Damien something special with lots of help from Mari and Boze. He learned so much about each of them and he had opened up a lot himself. He loved having friends that he could talk to while Damien was away.

“So Shayne, Damien is coming home today. Are you excited?” Wes asked him, having swam back with him so they could talk for the hour long swim. .

“I’m nervous more than anything. What happens if he doesn’t come to see me?” Shayne frowned.

“Don’t be nervous buddy. I’m sure he misses you as much as you missed him. He’ll definitely come to see you.”

“I really hope he does Wes, I need to talk to him so bad and I want to give him his gift.”

  
Shayne waved goodbye to Wes once they reached his favourite rock. There was a cool breeze blowing through his hair, his eyes fixatine towards the beach as he kept an eye out for Damien. It was still early and so after a while he dove underwater to swim around.  
\------------------------------------------------------  
_**“OH WAIT”**_

Damien arrived home in California, shortly after 4p.m. Right after dropping Freyja and Zelda off at his place, he tossed his suitcase into the bedroom and quickly changed into some swim trunks and a different t-shirt. He then headed down to the beach as quickly as his car let him. Lucky for him, no one was there today. Everyone was probably still on a vacation for Christmas. As he ran through the sand now barefoot, he tripped several times but managed to keep himself from falling. He stopped at the edge of the water and looked out at the ocean.

“Shayne? Shayne if you’re out there and you can hear me, please let me explain things. I never wanted to run off before, I was just so scared and I freaked out,” he stopped speaking when he heard a splashing sound. He quickly dove into the water, beginning to swim towards the rock, when he suddenly felt a hand on his arm. “Shayne?!” He smiled, coming up to the surface, and he was greeted with those beautiful blue eyes.

“Damien, I heard what you said. Why were you scared?” Shayne asked as he kept his hand on his arm, while using his other hand to move his messy hair our of his face.

“I’m gay Shayne. I’ve known since I was 5. I wasn’t out to my parents but thanks to my sister, I was finally able to come out of the closet. I’m so much happier now and I know that nothing can stop me from being who I want to be.”

“Oh Damien I’m so happy for you! I’m glad you were able to come out to your family. I’m proud of you!” Shayne smiled. “I um, I’ve realized that I’m bisexual myself.”

“Thank you! I’m glad you’ve come to terms with your own sexuality, I know it can’t be easy, I’m proud of you too. ” Damien smiled as he gave Shayne a hug.

“Damien there’s another thing. The reason I was turned into a merman was because of the way I treated people. I used to bully all the gay kids I knew. I was a stupid teenager and I realize now that I was an idiot. But if I could go back and change it all, I wouldn’t, because otherwise I never would have met you. Damien you’ve changed my entire life in the month that I’ve known you. I never thought that love at first sight was a real thing, until you came into my life and changed all of that.” Shayne rambled on a bit before taking in a breath. “While you were gone I found some stuff and with my friend Mari’s help, I was able to locate some other things to make you this bracelet.” He handed the slightly misshapen and rusty homemade bracelet to him. 

“Shayne, slow down. First of all, I don’t care what you did in your past. I can tell that you’ve changed and that’s what matters now. I’m so thankful to have come into your life when I did because you’ve changed mine too. I always have such a hard time making friends and so when we became friends, it meant so much to me. You mean so much to me.” Damien smiled as he took one of Shayne’s hands in his own and laced their fingers together. He glanced down at the bracelet in Shayne’s other hand and gasped. “Oh Shayne, this is beautiful. I love it.” he began to cry a little as he helped Shayne put it on his wrist and it was the perfect fit. Sure it didn’t look brand new or anything but to him, it was perfect in every way.

“Damien… why do you like me?” Shayne asked suddenly.

“Shayne, there are many reasons. I love how messy your hair is and I love the way you sing, even if it’s not really in tune.” Damien smiled. “I also loved the way you take chances and even if you mess up you laugh about it.”

Shayne blushed at Damien’s words. “Thank you. I like what the clothes you wear, you have the same style as I did. Those rainbow sneakers of yours were adorable on you,” he smiled. “I know I’m not the best singer but the way you danced with me when I sang, I loved that,” he stopped for a moment as he looked Damien in the eyes. “Damien, I love you.”

“I love you too Shayne.” Damien grinned.

Damien let go of Shayne’s hand in order to cup the blonde’s cheeks. He slowly leaned in and pressed their lips together. This time the kiss lasted more than a few seconds as the waves moved around them. It was a slow, deep, and passionate kiss full of love and emotion. Once they both pulled away to get a breath, Shayne opened his eyes to meet Damien’s coco brown ones.

“Do you wanna know why I love you the most?” Damien asked.

“Is it because you can’t stop thinking about me?” Shayne teased.

“No, it’s because you always find a way to make me smile.”

Shayne smiled and leaned in to kiss Damien again, but suddenly he stopped. “Damien…” he started to say.

“Yes Shayne?” Damien asked, a little confused.

The blonde smiled as he fell back into the water and brought up what was now his human legs and feet. “We broke the curse! I’m human again!” He began to cry from happiness. After three years he was finally free! He swung his legs around above the water, he never thought he’d be so happy to see legs and feet.

Damien grinned and sunk down into the water, just enough so he could give Shayne a hug. “This is incredible Shayne. We can finally be together!” He quickly realized that when Shayne was turned back, that he was completely naked, which had his cheeks flushed.

Shayne laughed happily, hugging Damien back so tightly, completely unaware of his bareness from the waist down. “Wait, I have nowhere to go, Damien. I have no place to live and I have no clothes or anything. I lost it all when the curse was placed on me…” Shayne spoke sadly as he frowned.

Damien gave Shayne a peck to the lips. “You don’t have to worry about any of that because you can come and stay with me. I also have clothes in my car that I will bring back here so you can throw them on. That way you won’t have to walk across the beach naked.”

“I can’t do that, I’d feel like I was taking advantage of you.” Shayne said softly as his cheeks flushed. He was standing up fully in the water now and luckily it did come past his waist, but being human again, he now noticed how he was a couple inches shorter than Damien. “I’ll definitely take the clothes though, I don’t need someone to see my ass, well I wouldn’t mind you seeing it,” he took the edge off the slight awkwardness with the teasing.

“I won’t take advantage of my boyfriend, silly.” Damien smiled and made a bold move by giving Shayne’s bare butt a small slap under the water.

Shayne jumped, his cheeks flushing more. “What did you say?” he asked as he tried to process that one word.

“Shayne Robert Topp, would you be my boyfriend?”

“Damien Christian Haas, I thought you’d never ask.”

Damien grinned, as did Shayne, before the two shared another sweet and passionate kiss. Damien looped his arms around Shayne’s bare waist, as Shayne found his arms wrapped around Damien’s neck, fingers threading through his hair. All his life Shayne had thought he needed to find a girl, but turns out that all he needed to find his happily ever after, was a cute boy who knew every way to make him smile.

_ **“IT’S CAUSE YOU MAKE ME SMILE. YOU ALWAYS MAKE ME SMILE”** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is my first writing on here and I hoped you all enjoyed it 😊 I have so many more ideas constantly running my head and if you'd like me to write more then feel free to comment down below! I love writing so much and I'd love to write more for all my fellow Shaymien shippers! 💖


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